Although there has been no official word emanating from the Ireland camp further to Paul O’Connell maintaining last Thursday that Hugo Keenan was still in contention to face Wales, the expectation is that the Irish fullback will be ruled out of next Saturday’s Six Nations game due to the knee injury he suffered in the 36-0 win over Italy.
The 36-times capped 27-year-old has become a mainstay of Andy Farrell’s team, and has started 32 of Ireland’s last 36 Test matches since February 2021. But Keenan didn’t train with the rest of the squad in their two-day get-together at the end of last week and there is a fear that he may be sidelined for a number of weeks; thus also making him doubtful to face England at Twickenham next Saturday fortnight.
There was no mention of Keenan in the IRFU’s brief Monday update, which confirmed that the uncapped Munster duo of prop Oli Jager and Thomas Ahern have been added to the Irish squad this week in readiness for Saturday’s round three game at the Aviva Stadium (kick-off 2.15pm).
Both players had been named as ‘training panellists’ for the training camp in Portugal but Ahern was forced to withdraw after he sustained a head injury in Munster’s Champions Cup defeat by Northampton two days before the Irish squad assembled and which required an overnight stay in hospital.
Youthful Wales show signs of life ahead of Ireland game
But he returned for Munster last Saturday when putting in another 80- minute shift in their win away to the Scarlets, and in 14 games for his province this season, including 10 starts, he has scored seven tries.
Jager was also called up again in the week of the Italy game after Finlay Bealham’s wife gave birth to their first child, Joaquin, and the 29-year-old former Crusaders tighthead is one of seven props in the squad of 36 who are training in the IRFU High Performance Centre this week.
Of all the players who were released to play for their provinces in URC games over the weekend, the only injury concern is lock Iain Henderson, who picked up a foot injury during Ulster’s frustrating last-ditch loss away to the Ospreys on Sunday.
There will be a further update later in the week prior to the Ireland matchday squad being named on Thursday at 2pm.
Wales have called up uncapped Scarlets tighthead Harri O’Connor to their squad. The 23-year-old will replace Bath prop Archie Griffin who picked up a knee injury during Wales’ narrow defeat to England, while Leon Brown has also been injured.
Cardiff tighthead Keiron Assiratti is likely to start again with either Brown or experienced Harlequins tighthead Dillon Lewis among the replacements.
Ireland squad
Backs (15): Bundee Aki (Connacht), Harry Byrne (Leinster), Craig Casey (Munster), Jack Crowley (Munster), Ciarán Frawley (Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster), Hugo Keenan (Leinster), Jordan Larmour (Leinster), James Lowe (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Conor Murray (Munster), Calvin Nash (Munster), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Jacob Stockdale (Ulster).
Forwards: Thomas Ahern (Munster), Ryan Baird (Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Jack Conan (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Cian Healy (Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ulster), Oli Jager (Munster), Rónan Kelleher (Leinster), Jeremy Loughman (Munster), Joe McCarthy (Leinster), Peter O’Mahony (Munster, capt), Tom O’Toole (Ulster), Andrew Porter (Leinster), James Ryan (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Tom Stewart (Ulster), Nick Timoney (Ulster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster).
